Iran furious over Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries: ‘Racist, supremacist mentality’

An Iranian official denounced the "racist mentality" of US policymakers as US President Donald Trump reinstated the travel ban on 12 countries.

Director General for the affairs of Iranians broad, Alireza Hashemi-Raja, said on Saturday the move was “a clear sign of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers.”

He lambasted Trump's travel ban, saying that it "indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian and Muslim people".

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Iran's foreign ministry as saying in a post on X, “The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals – merely due to their religion and nationality – not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates... international law.”

US President Donald Trump signed a new order on Wednesday banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States. The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

As per the order, the entry of people from seven other countries will be partially restricted. These include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The ban takes effect on June 9, 2025 (Monday) at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT).

The order stated that visas issued before June 9 will not be revoked. No immigrant or non-immigrant visa issued before June 9 "shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation," the proclamation stated.

The ban, which Trump said was necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists", was reminiscent of a similar move he implemented during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, when he barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations.

(With inputs from agencies)